Page 9 of Mac

“I’m going to need more from you before I help you out,” I responded, standing back with my arms crossed over my chest while I slowly eyed her up and down.

A loud gasp escaped her as she moved back quickly, and I knew what she must have thought I was insinuating.

“Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. You’re not my type,” I lied.

Her shoulders slumped, and I couldn’t tell if it was in relief or disappointment.

“Are you going to be able to help me or not?” she asked in a huff.

I had to give her credit; she wasn’t backing down, even though I was acting like a dick. “That’s up to you. Are you going to tell me why you’re looking for Viking?”

“Um…” she started, her bravado gone.

I turned away, opening the door to walk back into the clubhouse, but she reached out and grabbed hold of my arm before I could step through. I looked down at her small hand on my bicep and then back at her. She turned white as a ghost when she realized she had touched me. She pulled her hand back quickly like I’d burned her.

“I…I’m sorry. It’s just”—I could tell she was struggling with whether she should level with me or keep her secrets—“he’s my father.”

“Bullshit!” I yelled while she stumbled back, the door slamming closed behind us. There was no way Viking ever cheated on Meredith, and he definitely didn’t have a kid out there that no one knew about.

“It’s not bullshit!” she shouted back, almost hysterical. “I just found out a few days ago, when I was going through some of my grandmother’s stuff. There was a birth certificate that had a Samuel Andersen listed as my father. A letter from my mom said he was a Desert Sinner.”

“How old are you?” I asked, keeping my bark to a minimum, though she still jumped a little.

“I’ll be twenty-one next month.”

Well, shit. She would have been born before Viking got with Meredith. Maybe the girl wasn’t full of shit. She also wasn’t as young as I thought, not that it changed anything if she was Viking’s daughter.

“So...can I talk to him,please?”

I went still, hesitating a little. It was the desperate way she said “please” that caught me off guard somewhat. I hadn’t heard that kind of despair since I was a kid myself, begging for my own parents not to toss me aside like Sunday’s garbage.

“I can’t promise anything, but come on inside, and I’ll see what I can do,” I offered, not sure why I was being nice, even though I didn’t like the situation at all.

“Okay,” she agreed, but didn’t make any move to enter the clubhouse when I opened the door again.

“I’m not going to stand out here all night,” I said, my voice low, getting irritated and not bothering to hide it.

Before she brushed past me, I gripped her upper arm firmly, stopping her. She winced and looked at me. “What now?” she asked, a mix of weariness and fear in her tone.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Kate,” she said after a long pause.

“Kate…” I repeated. Pretty name, pretty girl. Why I’d asked, I didn’t really know. I loosened my grip and gestured with my head for her to continue inside. She didn’t hesitate this time. I followed her in and rather too closely when she suddenly stopped. I had to place my hands at her narrow waist to stop my momentum from crashing into her, and I couldn’t lie, I didn’t mind the contact. It was obvious she was more shocked by the loud party going on in front of her than me touching her.

“Maybe I should come back another time,” she said.

I squeezed her waist and pushed her forward. “Not so quick, you’re already here. Might as well get this settled now.”

I directed her over to the bar where Wolf was still hanging out, albeit now with a chick grinding her ass against his dick. Kate’s eyes were wide as she took in the activities happening all around us. There was a couple having sex on the pool table, another girl dancing on the pole, and a couple of people getting high over in the corner.

Wolf looked at the girl standing next to me, then gave me awhat the fucklook.

“Go sit there,” I ordered, pointing to a lonely chair by the bar. She gave me a look but did as I instructed.

I motioned for Wolf to come talk to me. He got up, much to the disappointment of the chick still vying for his attention.

I explained quickly what I’d learned outside. He seemed as shocked as I was.